doppleganger
by paired discontinuity
Summary: M01 AU. Perhaps, if Ash had not come in between, the attacks would have canceled each other out, or there would have been some saving grace. But he did, and the aftermath doesn't quite go as anyone expected.
1. prologue

_**A/N:**_ _Another fic from a remi and an Aiko. Because why not? Enjoy the AU!_

* * *

 **Prologue: Chaos and Storms**

When light and dark combined, they created the universe. But when these two conflicting powers came together, they destroyed the hope for sparing it as well.

Maybe if Ash hadn't been in between, they would have cancelled each other out, or combined into some saving grace. Or maybe something worse would have happened: two atoms colliding with the force of an atomic bomb and wiping the island, and the world around, off the map.

But Ash had been in between, and the two opposing powers had clashed with him and turned him into stone.

For a few moments, the air had had gone utterly still. The blast of raw energy had thrown the field into order, all of the combatants too tired to continue. The room was silent. Not even the humans, free from fighting, were able to move as the stone body thumped to the ground.

Mew, hovering in place, tilted its oversized head. It didn't move more than that. It was almost contemplative. The air of the room had changed. Mewtwo felt it in his skin. Mew was… stricken. Did he not know what to do? Had he never truly hurt a human before? How strange. Would this be the right time then? To fell him in all of the quiet.

Perhaps it would.

He drew up the psychic energy, warm beneath pink fur, and fired.

Mew had no time to react when the ball hit him, and he soundlessly fell.

Pandamonium erupted. The humans tried to collect their Pokemon and flee. The clones scattered. Most chased after their originals as Mewtwo's gaze turned to them, but a few did not. Meowth ignored his counterpart and stared at the boy in stone. His Pikachu clung to the form. And all his Pokemon cried. Fat tears that accomplished nothing. It made him sad, somehow.

The Pikachu clone watched his counterpart and so bore witness to the scene as well. Pikachu who had refused to fight him. Pikachu who was crying over a trainer who'd tried to stop the fighting. It seemed so foolish - and yet, they were the only ones to even try. The only ones to have hope. But he still couldn't grasp that idea. Hope for what? It hadn't yet been an hour since he'd been alive.

The clone remembered scratching, clawing, hitting his counterpart. That was all he knew. The battle, the sting. Did all Pokemon, all originals, not know this? Did they not feel the joy of it? Perhaps a trainer muted it, made it less than useful. Then why fight at all? Why resist like they had?

He didn't understand. It was all so confusing. Why did he need to know? Why was his counterpart crying?

Why was _he_ crying?

"Pri…"

He turned. One of the humans had left their bag. Was there a bag Pokemon they did not know about? He edged towards it, ears up and cheeks sparking. The crying counterpart and human were forgotten. The clone reached the bag and began to paw it open. When the gap was wide enough to stick his head in, out rolled what looked like an egg. Then little hands and feet popped out, spiky head unfurling. It began to whimper and cry. He peered at it and then it wandered towards him, still crying. He began to back away. Unknown variable, didn't compute.

That didn't stop the strange little pokemon though. It still came, still cried. Until a stray blast from one of the pairs frightened it and it began to wave its arms.

The clone Pikachu continued to back away. The original Meowth trying to drag away the clone one. A Gyarados rearing overhead. He tumbled over a tail and fell - a Vulpix. The clone. He could see the real one backing away, towards its human. The real Gyarados at the water, ducking a Hydro Pump, its trainer on its back. The clone Pidgeot swooping over them as the real one attempted to launch itself into the storm with its human astride. Two Rhydon, about to charge at each other. They weren't quite in the middle though. Small mercy. And the strange little pokemon had stopped its approach.

When the waving arms stopped and a bright light enveloped the clone Pikachu and the surrounds, he understood. Sort of.

Was this what was called a temper tantrum?

To Mewtwo, the battlefield went from full to nearly empty in an instant. That screaming, the flash of light, and valuable clones, gone. Stolen. By an original. By his own oversight. It was luck. It was a fluke.

He looked around the remains. Many of his soldiers were beside him, eyes rapt on the escapees. They were waiting. Let them hunt? Capture? Or let the monsters run? It was a hard decision.

Yet they were just the first. And the humans were cast adrift in the storm. He could improve his clones. Make them better. Make them perfect. Maybe it didn't matter after all. It was unfortunate he'd lost an original he had no DNA for but his plan could move on nonetheless. Maybe he'd come across it again before the world was his. Certainly he would in the aftermath. He could afford to let them go. Once he'd established himself a little more he could search - if the matter still pressed in his mind. At the moment though, he'd defeated Mew, he'd started his army of clones and he had proven their might against the originals. The proof was the trainers and pokemon fleeing in the storm.

Some would drown. He had no need for all of them, but the others could be useful. Nurse Joy had proved indispensable. And he'd ensnared two gym leaders with his net.

The question would be whether he needed them both or not. Or perhaps… well, there were ways to keep them useful until they weren't.

Now, a way to capture them…

 _"Venasaur, grab them."_ The Pokemon grunted. _"Hunt them, all of you. If they live, keep them. They are worthy. Then, we conquer."_

The soldiers roared and burst into attack. Outside the safety of his walls, the storm spread. Not even he could control it now. And why would he?


	2. chapter one

"This forest really has character, doesn't it?" Kiara said lightly, skipping along the path towards the shrine.

Sera wasn't as chirpy, and it was reason enough that they had only three conscious pokemon between the two of them and one was all out of offensive moves. "Just do me a favour and don't wake any wild pokemon," she muttered.

"But you could catch a Venonat here!"

"I already have a Venonat." But Kiara was further ahead by then and not listening. Which was fair enough, she supposed. They'd made it on time, though with more cuts and bruises than they cared to have and with their pokemon more worn out than they would have liked. The easier part came now. Getting to the shrine before the pokemon, and then swooping them all up and hauling them to Professor Elm. Or the nearest pokemon centre. Let them play courier. And save the world from destruction too.

Kiara vanished around a corner. "Ooh, here's a Venona - eek, it knows Poison Powder! Cecilia!"

Sera sighed. Some smoke billowed her way and, a moment later, a triumphant Kiara came back carrying a charred and unconscious Venonat. "Here you go."

Sera rolled her eyes, putting her red hair out of her face. "I already have one."

Kiara pretended to think, looking completely out of her element for a moment. "Then you'll have another one to help us handle this mess! We can just let her go when we're done, can't we, Vivi?" The Venonat let out an excited chirp at being included in the conversation.

"Already naming them." Sera couldn't act like that wasn't expected. Kiara named everything, including her.

"Of course!" Kiara went to skip again, like she hadn't nearly been struck by Poison Powder only moments before. "By the way, the shrine is over here!" She bounced out of sight. "Come on Finny!"

Correction: she continued to nickname.

But that was part of what made Kiara, Kiara. Still… "It's not 'Finny.'"

"Sure, Fin!"

Sera rolled her eyes and followed, wondering if one of them would need to tie a bow to their Venonat to tell them apart - assuming Kiara had actually caught the critter. She might not have. She did try to make friends with every walking critter but she usually forgot to throw a poke-ball at them. And a second Venonat might be more trouble than it was worth, so Sera thought it was well worth not reminding her.

The forest grew denser. The tall trees brushed them both and Sera made sure her sleeves were down every time. Ilex Forest had a dense history, what with Celebi and all. And if Celebi could leave echoes of what it saw, then the forest was filled with scars from many years, future and past.

Kiara, being Kiara, paid little attention to any of this. One hand played with the Pokemon which should have been at her waist, indicating she was not as relaxed as she looked. Fifi the Venonat bounced silenty after her, antenna and nose twitching in near unison as she moved ahead of the humans. Then she began to let out quiet squeaks, nose twitching as she bounced from pudgy foot to pudgy foot. Kiara caught up and waved excitedly at Sera. Sera shook her head. Too cheerful.

"Turn it down a little. They're all not going to appreciate that much excitement in one setting."

"Sure they will!" Kiara was certain of it. This poor group would be directionless (and human hating, don't forget that!) but the enthusiasm and directions to follow would give them less reasons to lash out and hurt the forest, at least right now. Then they could talk about everything else!

Speaking of which… right on cue! A big flash of light above the shrine heralded the arrival of the pokemon. And as soon as they caught sight of the shrine, too.

"They're here!" Kiara squealed. "Oh, look, who's that?"

Sera shrugged. She'd never seen that little half-egg like pokemon before either. Though she recognised a few of the others: two Meowth, a Vulpix, a Gyarados, and a pretty big Pidgeot. Then there was a yellow mouse she needed to use her pokedex for. That turned out to be a Pikachu.

"Good thing the giant death bird didn't land on the shrine." Kiara giggled at that. Though it would have been a shame if it had. The shrine was ancient after all. Loads of history - and history Sera could do without picking up, thank you very much.

"Just start catching." Sera pulled a few poke balls out - Totodile, her own Venonat, and the others empty ones. "Venonat, stun spore on the lot!"

Kiara's new friend seemed to think it looked like fun and pitched in to help. The odd egg curled up in itself and seemed to fall asleep again. One meowth never even moved. The other jerked and twitched. The Pikachu and Vulpix did the same.

But the Gyarados and Pidgeot were much bigger and stronger. Pidgeot squawked and raised its head. The Gyarados flicked its tail and roared.

Both girls jumped, yelping in fear. Kiara was startled enough to start throwing Pokeballs as fast as she could at any of them that she could. All except the egg, which rolled against her foot and remained there, snoozing away. She wasn't sure what that meant. Her fingers clicked her other ball open. "Cecelia, embers! Knock them down, do it!"

If only she could risk using smoke screen. That would dim their vision though.

Sera went to reach for her arm, to calm her down. It was hard though, she was shaking. "C-Come on. Let's go. Relax. We-We can get help. Just stop throwing."

Kiara, as if in defiance, threw another, her last, to bounce off of the Gyarados' head. Sera wanted to sigh. She couldn't say what Kiara was doing wasn't working. But trying to catch a Gyarados with a fire type that was at its lowest level? Probably not happening.

Nope, the ball just insisted on proving her wrong. Gyarados shrunk into a red light and vanished into the ball. Kiara smiled smugly - them screamed and fell backwards as Pidgeot squawked again.

"Confusion, Venonat!" Sera ordered, throwing her own poke balls. Because what Kiara had been doing had worked. They were down to half. Or a little less. She hadn't exactly done a head count.

Luckily, the Pidgeot was caught as easily as the Gyarados, and they were the only two megalith. The egg, on the other hand, resisted capture again. But it was snoozing away still, so it didn't really matter until it woke up. If it did.

They breathed a sigh of relief. The clearing was a bit of a mess but they were in one piece and so was the shrine. Kiara gave an awkward chuckle, that soon became a full-blown laugh. "That was an adventure."

"Which we could have done without." Sera glared. "You didn't think to mention the two superpowers in the group?"

Kiara pouted. "It's not like my visions are _that_ clear, Finny. I see only what I see. No more, no less." She picked up the egg creature and cuddled it to her chest. "Pushing our powers too much makes them blurry and then I wouldn't have known they were here at all and that would have been fun but bad." She moved to pick up the Pokeballs and Sera joined him, picking hers up and examining them.

"It's not Finny."

"It's also not bedtime, and you wouldn't complain then."

"I'll throw one of these at you." Sera's voice grew drier if that was possible, and instead she rolled her eyes. "Now we just need to get them out of here and to a center. We'll call Elm when we get there. Sound good?"

Kiara saluted cheerfully. "Yep, yep!" Then she stopped and blinked. "Vivi? Where's Vivi gone?"

There was only one Venonat. Sera's.

"Aww, Vivi! Didn't you want to come with Kiki?"

 _Oh, geeze._ Sera shook her head. Kiara even gave herself a nickname.

* * *

Azalea Town gave away its rustic feel with its lack of concrete roads and lanterns over streetlights. The bugs hummed happily as they flew over the girl's heads, nestling in the roof of the gym without a care in the world. Kiara skipped ahead, looking around with the childish desire of any ordinary trainer. Because really, that was what she was, right?

Well, aside from the future sight. She was sure lots of trainers had that though. At least she didn't use it all of the time.

She reached down and knocked playfully on the egg's head with a finger. "Oh mister eggy," she chirped. "We're in a shiny new town now, wanna wake up and see it?" The egg squirmed but didn't open up too much at first. Then its spikes popped out and beady black eyes stared up at her.

"Toge?"

Kiara melted. "You're simply adorable!"

Sera shushed her. "Quit drawing attention to us."

"But he's so cute!"

"I swear one of these day I'm going to toss you into a poke ball."

"You wouldn't." Kiara tossed a pout in her direction, before skipping ahead. "I guess you have an owner, mister eggy. Neither of us could catch cute little sleeping you."

A little roundabout, but Kiara had a point there. Either the odd little pokemon had a ridiculously low capture rate (and how, when they'd caught a Pidgeot and Gyarados with simple poke balls?), or it was owned by someone, and owned was more likely. Owned by one of the people Kiara had seen in her vision, probably. One of the people in the island they didn't recognise, but would probably be blaring on the news by nightfall.

"Check?" Kiara offered the egg. Sera walked ahead. "The Pokemon Centre can work it out. They have records." And they wouldn't see every miserable thing the pokemon remembered in doing it, either.

"Oh, fine." Kiara huffed, before winking at the egg. "Finny's a fussypot."

Sera's lip twitched. Not many people called her a fussypot. Not many people got away with it either. "There's the Pokemon Centre."

"Ooh." Kiara had spotted a different sign. "That's Mr Kurt's house. He's like - this awesome poke ball maker! Can we go? Puh-wease?"

"After the Pokemon Centre. Our Pokemon need rest too."

"Of _course_ after that." Kiara was flaky at times, but not so careless with her Pokemon. "We made it through a tough trip, didn't we? Rushing from Olivine like we did. Aren't you proud of our Pokemon?"

"Honestly, if it hadn't been for you trying to catch that Mantyke - " Sera cut herself off when Kiara grinned.

"Go on. Weren't you going to drown me in praise?"

"You must have imagined it," Sera replied, letting the automatic Centre doors close between them.

Kiara stuck her tongue out at the other girl, then followed. The cool air of the Pokemon Centre washed over her spiky hair and she cuddled the egg. The egg didn't seem to know what to do with her, so it remained settled in her arms for a moment.

Sera went up to the desk, making sure she had all the Pokemon she could carry. She cleared her throat. "We would like our Pokemon healed please."

The nurse looked up at the two of them and their torn clothes and worn postures, and smiled. "Not a problem. Please pass them over here, if that's all right. This will be a few minutes."

Sera nodded and turned to Kiara, who was busy cooing over the egg creature. "Kiara, your Pokemon."

Kiara bounced over at the sound of her name, depositing the Pokeballs with a grin. "Here you are, ma'am!"

The nurse took each one and then frowned in surprise. "What's this? You're quite past the limit." She examined the two of them more critically now. "Are these Pokeballs tampered with, by any chance?"

Kiara frowned, tilting her head. "They shouldn't be. We bought them from the Goldenrod Store… maybe it's the Pokemon! We caught some super weird awesome Pokemon and this little guy!" She raised the egg for the nurse to see. Naturally, this did not solve anything.

"They're for Professor Elm," said Sera, which kind of did but also ducked around the issue. But everyone in Johto knew about Professor Elm. "We just picked them up for him." And no-one needed to know how or why or where or if there was a Celebi involved...except Professor Elm himself.

"Okay then." The nurse looked a little doubtful still but she made a note on her pad. "So the pokemon registered under each of you are..?"

"Totodile, Venonat and Houndour," said Sera.

"Cecelia, Zen and Joker," said Kiara.

Nurse Joy blinked at the poke balls. "And who is who?"

Kiara blinked owlishly. "Cecelia is Cecelia - ow!" Sera elbowed her. "Oh, a Cyndaquil, Sentret and Mantyke."

The nurse nodded and did something on the computer, before handing the tray of poke balls to a Chansey. "Shall I take the egg as well?"

"Sure," Kiara chirped, handing the odd pokemon over.

It yawned in Nurse Joy's hands and she fumbled in her surprise. "This is a - " She stared. "But I've never seen this pokemon before."

To her surprise, Kiara stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Hah, they don't know what it is."

Sera just turned around. "Come on. We still need to call Professor Elm."

* * *

The screen wobbled back and forth with the clefairy passing to and fro across the screen. Kiara tapped her foot. "I wonder what he's doing…. he said he wanted to hear from us as soon as we got here… he must be busy."

"Or forgot." Sera shrugged. "He can be rather absentminded."

"You shouldn't say that." Kiara laughed too easily. "You sound ungrateful."

"He knows I'm not."

They waited a few moments more, and then finally, just when they were thinking of calling again later, the call connected. "Hello?"

Kiara waved. "Hi Professor! We did it!"

He stared at the girls. "Get into the league? I feel like I only saw you a few months ago."

Kiara shook her head, short blue hair bouncing a little before settling again. "We've each got two. Cianwood and Olivine - and we trained so crazily for Cianwood that Olivine was a breeze with Cecilia and Doom&Gloom -"

"I'll nickname my own pokemon." Sera rolled her eyes.

"You take too long," Kiarra pouted, before returning to the bemused Professor Elm. "We picked up the pokemon from the Shrine - "

"A Celebi?" There was a crash and the professor disappeared from the screen, before reappearing, looking ruffled. A few trainers in the lobby looked at them curiously.

"You mean Celebi was there? I can't believe we didn't -"

"Celebi hasn't been there in years," Sera interrupted, shaking her head. Listening to the two of them was giving her a headache. Was Professor Elm as scatterbrained as Kiara could sometimes tend to be? "Kiara means we picked up the pokemon that teleported to the shrine. The ones from...ahh…" The trainers were still looking, and still listening probably too. "Kiara, you told me you'd discussed it!"

"I did," Kiara protested. "I think."

"I'm afraid I don't remember…" Professor Elm flicked through a few papers. "So you picked up pokemon that I asked you to pick up for me? So I can study them?"

"Something like that," Sera sighed. She wasn't about to explain things on a Pokemon Centre phone. Especially when they were pretty clueless themselves. "There's a pokemon that Nurse Joy doesn't recognise in there -"

The professor's expression lit up in glee.

" - and a Gyarados, Pidgeot, a Vulpix, Pikachu and two Meowth."

The professor hummed thoughtfully. Probably, he was trying to work out why he'd requested pokemon of the Kanto variety. Or he did remember and was simply assimilating the information.

"Can you send them over to me through the transfer machine?"

"Our poke balls don't work on mister eggy," Kiara explained.

"The mystery pokemon," Sera corrected.

"But we can try with the others."

But when Nurse Joy brought the poke balls and they tried, an error kept on coming back.

"Hmm… then you'll simply have to bring them to my lab," Elm decided.

Sera felt Kiara prepare to protest, but raised a hand. Kiara pouted, but stopped. "Got it," she said. "We'll be there as soon as possible." They needed more training anyway and getting from Eterna to New Bark would be a good start.

Plus, if that Gyarados and Pidgeot were any indication, they needed to get some trust and bonds with these guys, or they'd be eaten as soon as the Pokemon figured out the opening mechanism. She doubted Kiara would see that coming.

Elm managed a weary smile. "All right. Good. Come by as soon as you're able."

"Yes sir."

The call ended and Kiara grinned wide enough to break her face. Sera noticed. "What?"

"This means I get to catch you a new fluffy-fluff, Finny."

Sera tried not to sigh. Arceus help her.


	3. chapter two

They climbed the steel ladder down into the well and went far enough in so the only light was from their torches (because they didn't want the Pigeot to shoot straight out) before releasing the first of the poke balls.

Kiara was all for releasing them at once. Seraphina was more cautious - especially since they'd been extremely lucky that they'd been in no condition to fight the first time around, and no way they could handle a Gyrados and Pidgeot together (and maybe not even separately) at full health.

In the end, she revealed totodile, told an impatient Kiara to release her mantyke, and then let the vulpix loose.

The vulpix stared at them, then at the surroundings where the wild slowpoke lounged deeper in and their two pokemon stared curiously. Sera felt somewhat guilty at that: they'd only add more pokemon to an environment that was native to them, and it would make any rock or fire pokemon understandably uncomfortable, but the pricking sensation that something was wrong overrid that concern.

Then the vulpix settled onto a dry patch of soil and yawned.

Kiara of course melted at once. "Aww!" she bounced a little and Joker floated by her head. "Look at you, you're perfect!"

Sera would have facepalmed if she wasn't watching the Pokemon like it would pounce. "Kiara, you realize I will probably keep this one."

"Yep, yep!" She didn't seem to be listening, of course not, only focusing on moving closer with a too eagerly outstretched hand. In all honesty, Sera wanted to keep the Vulpix to save it from Kiara's extra enthusiasm.

Kiara knelt and reached to gently scratch the fluffy ears. Vulpix tensed and then went slack, making more small noises of delight. "You try it Fi! They're so fluffy!"

"No."

Kiara pouted. "Spoilsport."

Sera sighed. Why. Had Kiara forgotten what would happen if she touched a Pokemon for the first time? Then again, it was kind of important, in this case. She took a deep breath and reached for the tip of one ear.

A few images, gone so quickly she almost missed them. Flying. Crying. Two vulpix fighting. A strange humanoid creature using a psychic attack. Bubbles.

And then nothing. A dizzying black that drew her in and trapped her there. Not the warmth from inside an egg or a womb but something more blank, more terrifying.

Nonexistence. That was the word.

And then there was a sting that was most definitely _not_ a memory. She blinked, and the Vulpix was butting its nose against her hand. She drew it away - and yep, a nice little ring of bite marks on her index finger.

She took a deep, calming breath. Hopefully this wasn't one of those cases where the visions had reruns. "Thank you," she said quietly, petting the ear gently, and then the spine when all that occurred was another yawn and this one sounded content.

Kiara looked smug. "See, it worked out." Joker blew a few bubbles, grin still plastered on their face. Sera shot her a look that went easily ignored.

"Not because of you."

"These things are always because of me." She knelt in front of the kitsune, smiling still. "So, mister, are you a mister, vulpix, we were supposed to come and find you. I dunno why, do you? You seem to be from far away if you had to teleport, you know?"

The vulpix gave her an odd look and then settled down for a nap. Sera recalled her and tucked the poke ball into her belt. Part of her wanted to surrender it to Kiara - but, chances were, the others would be the same and the Vulpix, at least, seemed calm.

"What did you see, anyway?" asked Kiara, tickling Joker's underbelly while Sera recalled totodile and brought out her houndour. Pity neither of them had a ground type yet, but Houndoom's Leer would hopefully cower the other if it tried anything.

Or maybe Kiara was right and it was paranoia. Which had only gotten worse, really, with that terrifying _nothingness_ she'd seen.

And Kiara was looking at her in that way that promised constant nagging unless she explained herself. Which...she did appreciate, and probably less than she should. "Nothing," she said. "But not like they were just born. More like...they hadn't existed before - and suddenly fighting, and a flash, and then the forest where we found them."

Kiara nodded, a strangely pensive look crossing her normally loose and bouncy features. "Sounds like there are super experiments afoot," she concluded. "The visions didn't give me that much, or maybe I just don't remember it." She shrugged. "Maybe the professor can take a look once we're sure these critters are okay." She tossed the next ball carelessly and out popped a bright yellow and black mouse. It sat up on its hind legs and shook its rabbity ears. Static electricity fell from its body into the dirt and it stared about, blinking its big beady eyes.

"Hullo!" Kiara chirped, giggling at the sight of it. "Why are you all so cute?!"

The pikachu did not answer. Instead, it leaped toward her, fangs out. Joker, who'd floated down to play, reeled back, static shooting through its body. Houndour shot out from between Sera's legs and leered.

The pikachu turned around and growled back, before digging its paws into the ground as though ready to ram. Or Tackle. Or Quick Attack. Wait, can a Pikachu even learn Tackle?

Pikachu shot towards houndour and Sera. Definitely Quick Attack.

"Hey, we won't hurt you." Kiara crept forward. "There's a good -"

Pikachu was going to knock down houndour before it listened to Kiara. "Roar!" Sera snapped.

Houndour roared, and pikachu shot back into its poke ball to be replaced by a Meowth.

"Aww," Kiara pouted, before brightening. "But the meowth is cute too. Don't you think, Joker?" Joker made a strange little noise and Kiara finally turned and noticed. "Joker!" She moved to examine his body. "I'm sorry buddy, I really should have noticed." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small bottle. She sprayed a little of it on her Pokemon, who relaxed with a pleased sigh. Then Kiara lifted her head to look at the meowth. It was standing on its hind legs, paws raised, eyes squinting in the relative dark.

"Jessie? Yer not Jessie. And where's James? And de twerps?"

Kiara stared blankly, actually surprised. On the meowth's other side, Sera stared blankly as well. The meowth was talking. And not telepathically like apparently some psychic and legendary pokemon could, but lips moving and voice coming out, honest to goodness talking.

Then Kiara squealed and knelt down beside the meowth, who jumped but managed to stay on its hindlegs. "Oh wow, you can talk!"

"Course I can talk," the cat pokemon grumbled. "Where you been, girly. And where am I, for that matter? And who are you?"

"The slowpoke well just outside Azalea Town," Sera replied succinctly, before Kiara could give the more long-winded response, "She's Kiara, and I'm Sera. But... _how_ can you talk?"

"Oh, never mind the how right now," Kiara interrupted, before the meowth could answer. "That's Prof Elm's forte -"

"Oh, you're not sending me to some nutty professor," the meowth muttered, but he went ignored by both girls.

" - he can tell us what happened," Kiara finished triumphantly.

Sera almost tilted her head. That was… good, for Kiara. Maybe she was concentrating. That didn't happen too often. She was going to appreciate it. "You think he will though?"

Kiara shrugged. "Sure! I mean," She knelt to look at the cat. "It's not like you've got anything to lose right? Or gain." She smiled a bit too wide."You don't know where you are nor how to get back. You've been captured. And I mean, help us and we can help us find that Jessie person you're looking for. Doesn't that sound good?"

The pokemon stared at her for a long while, eyes narrow and claws still poking out of the tips of his paws. Then they retreated. "You two are weird," he decided.

Sera let out a snort. He did not even know the half of it. "So are you."

"Touche, toots." He regarded her before rubbing the coin on his forehead. "Y'see, I'm a member of Team Rocket, the baddest of the bad."

"Oh, I like where this is going already," Sera deadpanned.

Kiara giggled, petting Joker. "Aww, come on. How can they be that bad with a name like that?"

"Don't you ever watch the news?" Sera countered. "Team Rocket are notorious for stealing Pokemon all over the Johto-Kanto continent."

" _Strong_ pokemon," Meowth corrected. "But we're only interested in this really strong Pikachu that belongs to the twerp. Hey, the Pikachu wouldn't happen to be around here, would he?"

"Sure is," chirped Kiara, before Sera could think it'd be a bad idea, and snatched the ball from the pile. "Here!"

She released the Pikachu again, who looked about briefly before snarling something at the meowth.

"Not that Pikachu." Meowth waved a paw. "That's a copy the weird floating guy made."

Floating guy? Kiara made a face before reaching down to pet the pikachu. It nipped at her fingers in slight disgust. Kiara pouted, then paused. A chill ran up her spine and she looked about.

It was like a cat, a tall, mutated cat on its hind legs. It was watching over the trees, the clouds. Below it was the sound of stampeding feet, of beating wings and smelling of hunger, hunger and thrill and-

Kiara pulled her fingers away, puzzled. Then she pet the Pikachu again. "So a lot of these little guys are clones?" She was more confused than terrified. "How?"

"How would I know?" sniped the cat. "I only saw what happened. That doesn't mean I know. Don't be an idiot."

Kiara's cheeks puffed out and Sera smirked. "Default state apparently."

"Be nice, I like you," she said and stared at meowth. "So… your friends are trapped somewhere."

"On an island probably, unless he did somethin' with 'em." Meowth scoffed. "He's a real nasty piece of work."

Talk about an understatement.

"When I last saw 'em," he continued. "There was this storm and the twerp ran in to stop the fightin', guns blazing like twerps usually do. And then, boom, he's stone. There's a super loud noise and then it's all over and I'm waking up after you twerps throw me in a prison sphere!"

Kiara scratched her head. "The pokemon don't seem too mad about it…"

"Only because they can't talk, twerp. Trust me, I bet your Pokes have stories, most of them about hating you."

Serafina's eyes flickered. Perhaps it would be good just to take this guy out so he could shut up. Maybe. He didn't seem that tough.

Kiara however, smiled at him. "Aw, you're worried about us. That's sweet."

"What I gotta be worried about you for?"

"You'll see," Sera sighed. "Now, are you going to be helpful or should we put you back in your poke ball?"

"Helpful!" The meowth blanched immediately. "Please don't put me in there. The twerp don't put his Pikachu in there, you know. He hates it too."

"Of course we won't," Kiara cooed. "Unless you're a naughty pokemon of course. Naughty pokemon get times out. Or if we need to take you to a Pokemon Centre - oh, we can probably carry you. You're cute and tiny -"

"Cute!" Meowth exclaimed, before looking over at Sera. "Hey, red girl. Any chances I can go with you instead?"

"No chance," Sera replied flatly, lobbing the poke ball at Kiara, who caught it easily. "Now, which of these pokemon are clones? And who does the egg-like one belong to?"

"That's Togepi," Meowth sighed, now somewhat downtrodden. "It belongs to the twerpette - uhh, Foggy? Misty? Yeah, Misty's her name."

"Misty," Kiara repeated. "Nope, don't know a Misty."

Meowth shrugged. "And I don't know who else wound up here, but anything that could be caught in a poke ball aside from me is probably a clone. There weren't any wild pokemon there - aside from the floating guy."

"And you?" Sera raised an eyebrow.

"I'm my own Pokemon," Meowth shrugged. "I just hang out with Jessie and James because...well, they're my best buds. And my team and all that jazz."

"Then we'll be your temporary team," Kiara decided, "and your friends, of course." She squatted down and offered a hand. "Hi! I'm Kiara, and grouchy over there is Sera. And this - " She tickled her Mantyke's underbelly again. "Is Joker. And over there is Puppydog -"

"Houndour," Sera corrected. "Only Kiara's Pokemon have nicknames."

"Ooh." Kiara ignored Sera's rejection of the nickname for another thought. "That means I can nickname you too. And I guess I better take that pikachu, otherwise it and Houndour will never stop fighting. Which I guess leaves you with the other Meowth and the Vulpix and...ooh, can we let out Gyarados now? I've always wanted a gyarados!"

"I'd rather not be eaten by it," Sera disagreed. "Let's wait until the Pikachu's listening to you and can handle it."

"Okay." Kiara pouted, but she could see the wisdom in that. "But I get Gyarados still. And you should take Pidgeot. You've got no flying types until your Venonat evolves - oh crap!" Joker shot away in panic as she threw up her arms. Meowth looked a little warier as well. "I forgot to catch Vivi! We left it near the shrine!"

"There's too many Venonat in that forest," Sera sighed. "You'll never find it again, and it's probably a good thing. Don't want to mix it up with mine."

"Silly," Kiara stuck her tongue out. "Mine would have _personality_."

"Sure," Sera sighed, "and Houndour thinks you've just insulted him."

Indeed, Houndour was growling. And Meowth was coughing.

"Do you understand them?" Kiara asked curiously.

"Sure thing." Meowth coughed again. "But...uhh… the Houndour said your personality's dysfunctional."

"Oh, pooh." Kiara just waved a hand. "A chip off the old Sera, right?" Without waiting for a reply, she pressed on. "So, what next? Challenge the gym since we're here? Should be a piece of cake after Olivine, especially now that we've got a Vulpix and Pigeot too."

"You put them both on my team," Sera pointed out.

"Oh," Kiara laughed sheepishly. "Whoops?"


End file.
